Multichannel forward scattering meter for oceanography

An instrument was designed and built that measures the light scattered at several angles in the forward direction simultaneously. The instrument relies on an optical multiplexing technique for frequency encoding of the different channels suitable for detection by a single photodetector. A Mie theory computer program was used to calculate the theoretical volume scattering function for a suspension of polystyrene latex spheres. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental volume scattering functions is taken as a verification of the calibration technique used.